Dating but that's it?
by Flowerbudd
Summary: Just something that popped into my head randomly.
1. Chapter 1

"So we're dating… but we aren't having sex?" Derek asked... again. Meredith turned to look at him, raising her eyebrow.

"What part of that is so hard for a brain surgeon to understand?" she teased him.

"It's just… going to be hard.. is all." He replied.

She giggled. "We were friends before and we didn't have sex then." She reminded him.

"Yeah, and I had to fight myself not to ravish you over and over, every single time I saw you." He gave her a dreamy look.

"You did?" she asked him. "I did." He affirmed. "Oh." Mer replied quietly.

"Where did you get this dumb idea anyways?" Derek asked running a hand through his hair. They were leaning over the railings at the ferry boats, just having finished up the picnic lunch Derek had brought.

"Finn never said it was a dumb idea," she gave him a look.

Derek rolled his eyes. "As glad as I am that McVet has to suffer too, because that means he isn't touching you anymore… I'd rather not picture it."

Meredith leaned over against him and whispered.. "What do you mean anymore? He never has."

Derek's eyes opened wide, and he looked at her, she nodded to confirm it and he felt a little more peaceful inside. So McVet hadn't ever gotten a pair of Meredth's panties. That was a very good thing. Yes, it was something that made him feel much better. He chuckled to himself, feeling silly for being so happy about it.

Derek felt a little more cocky. This wasn't all as easy as it had sounded. Meredith really was going on dates with two men. He had to schedule time with her, and take her places. And send her flowers to combat the gifts flooding in from Finn. But he had to admit it felt really damn good to be able to openly express himself anywhere he wanted to about how he felt about her. Never again would he keep his feelings for Meredith inside.

"But… What about the, let's see what did I hear you guys call it.. oh yes.. the beast. What about the beast Meredith?" he gave her a soul searching look that made her weak to her knees. She cleared her throat.

"The beast is.. resting. " she answered.

"Funny, the beast wasn't very restful last week. No, as I recall the beast was pretty .. hot, and hmmm I'd say ferocious. Yes, not the kind of beast that's easily tamable." He laughed as he ducked out of the way, as Meredith swiped at him with her fist.

He pulled her into his arms, and trailed his lips along the column of her neck, the spot where he knew she melted inside when he kissed her there. Working his way up to her ear, he whispered seductively, " I hope I don't wake the beast up."

She tilted her head, giving him better access, before shaking her head and pulling away.

"That is so not fair Dr. Shepherd. You can't use prior knowledge to gain an advantage."

"Well, what should we do? Miniature golf?" he asked her exasperated.

"We could talk. You could tell me more than your favourite ice cream flavor, some real history on you, details. Girls like to know this stuff you know."

Derek smiled at her with a wicked grin. "I'd rather wake up the beast, but I guess I'll bite." He laughed at his joke. "Ask away, what do you want to know."


	2. Chapter 2

Meredith and Derek had been on five dates. It had been eight days since she had made her declaration and both guys had been clamoring to outdo each other. Finn had only been able to schedule two nights with her because of her schedule, and she had kinda given Derek a few extra just because he popped them in there during work, so it really wasn't totally unfair. He would pop up with a picnic and pull her away to the hospital roof, or garden for a quick romantic lunch. It was refreshing to see Derek happy and smiling, and she guessed she was too.. happy and smiling.

She would bump into him in the hallways and he would openly make love to her with those McDreamy looks that made her feel naked and excited. He had no shame to flirting with her now that he could, openly, and so everyone could see and hear. Flowers were regularly arriving at her house. Cards were shoved into her locker. And she discovered that Dr. Shepherd could be very romantic if he was so inclined. He had more resources at his disposal, than Finn did, and he wasn't adverse to using them either. While Derek wasn't a snob.. well he was a little, but he was not a materialistic person..( that's better) it was no secret that he made a very, very healthy living and he was generous with the proceeds. She had let him talk her into going to a bed and breakfast over on the coast this weekend, which was tomorrow. She had debated long and hard about the wiseness of this, since she knew she had no self control when it came to him. But he had been so endearing, and showed her tickets to wineries, and a show, that she couldn't stand to dash his plans.

If she could make it through the weekend without sleeping with him she would be a proud woman. She knew Cristina, Alex, and George had a bet. She was almost inclined to place one with them, but she had to have a little faith she could be strong. Finn was so nice, he had taken her to dinner, and then he had taken her out one night to a concert and a carriage ride. He always said the right thing, he always looked handsome and kind, and he made Meredith the center of his world, everything revolving around her, but ever since Derek had gotten rid of a certain red head, he had made her the center of his universe too, and it felt strangely different then when Finn did it. She hadn't told Finn about this weekend, she knew it would upset him. She had allowed him to kiss her goodnight last night after their date, and he had seemed so happy she had felt guilty to think about how much time her and Derek were spending making out on their time together.

If she wanted to be honest, which she didn't really, she would have to admit that she really already had chosen. But she didn't quite know how to let Finn down, she was scared to tell Derek he had won, she was afraid to be in a real relationship with him again, trust, and all the other issues that went with it, so evident in her mind. This bought her some time, and besides it was kind of fun seeing how hard he worked.


	3. Chapter 3

Meredith leaned her head back against the seat of the car. They were driving in Derek's car to the bed and breakfast, and he definitely had a luxury car compared to her jeep. The seats were heated, and she swore she could just close her eyes and sleep the whole way there. Fortunately with Derek it was ok to have quiet periods, they didn't feel like they needed to fill up every minute with talk. She could feel him when he glanced at her, which was often, and she kept her eyes closed rather than return his gaze, the atmosphere in the car since they had gotten out of Seattle was electric. How Meredith was going to stay in a room, with one bed with Derek and not sleep with him was beginning to worry her. A Lot.

Watching him maneuver the car through the city streets and then onto the faster paced freeway turned her on, made her think of the way he could maneuver her body into heights of unbelievable, never before told ecstasy Stop it.. she demanded to herself.

"Hungry?" he broke into her thoughts. She turned to glance at him, he was grinning at her like he could read her mind, which probably he could with her luck.

"Yeah, Kind of, I think I am hungry." She replied.

"You think you are?" he teased her. His eyes sparkled at her.

"Yes, I'm hungry." She affirmed. She was starting to feel a little guilty for Finn. He really didn't have much of a chance compared to Derek. Just riding in the car with him was flustering her.

"You know.. I'm not sleeping with you this weekend. Just so you know." She said, realizing as she did that she was rambling and giving up information he hadn't asked, which made her sound defensive.

Derek looked at her, almost laughing, "Did I ask you to sleep with me?"

"Just so you know is all…. That I'm not going to. So Don't expect it. We can sleep in the same bed, and just… sleep. No sex." Meredith continued rambling wishing she could shut up.

Derek laughed that horribly annoying but sexy confident laugh that he had, the one that meant he knew better, Meredith rolled her eyes and played with a tress of her hair.

"I'm serious." She continued, fully pissed at herself for not dropping it.

"Of course you are, I know that. You and me, sleeping platonically in the same bed.. so totally happening. Definitely natural." He agreed with her mockingly.

Meredith punched him the arm lightly, "shut up." She said. She watched as he pulled off the highway at an exit, expertly navigating to a little café.

"You must have been here before, you know just where to go." She said.

"Mapquest. I studied to make sure I could get us here, and I even researched to find this on the way dining spot, that supposedly got 4 out of 5 stars."

"Ahhh. Interns don't have time to surf the net, or really go on vacation. Luckily Cristina traded shifts with me for this one." Meredith said.

Derek opened the door, got out and came around to let Meredith out. He guided her with his hand at the small of her back onto the café's porch and into the door. They were seated by a plump, friendly hostess, who after learning of their destination regaled them with tales of the romantic retreat her and her recently deceased husband had enjoyed there. Meredith silently strengthened her resolve to not have sex with Derek.

Over lunch, Derek and Meredith chatted lightly, enjoyed the fine food and flirted a lot. She cursed herself for deciding not to sleep with Derek yet, because frankly she was pretty worked up and having a hard time keeping her hands off of him. It would be such a better lunch if she knew she was just waiting to get to the room to rip their clothes off and have wild sex. Why didn't she ever think things like that about Finn?

After lunch, they climbed back in the car and set out again. Derek told her they had about two hours left of driving, and she dozed off complacently with Derek's hand resting on her jean clad thigh, and her head on his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a fantastic evening. They had gotten to the bed and breakfast in time for tea, and had enjoyed tea and cake with the proprietors and a newlywed couple. Afterwards they had been led to their little suite, which was on the ground floor with a private garden. The room had a gigantic king sized bed, a Jacuzzi tub and a table and chairs and love seat. There were candles all around and a fireplace in front of the bed. They had settled their bags and then headed to the coast to enjoy some shopping and wading.

Derek had bought her a straw hat, a necklace made out of pearlized shells, and a shot glass, which he had presented to her with a wicked grin.. for her tequila. He had laughed and asked her if he should get her a bottle for tonight.

Afterwards they had dined in a little French place that had disgustingly expensive but delightful champagne, which Meredith had only allowed herself to have one glass of. After walking the beach once more, they had come back to the room, and Derek had just finished expertly lighting a fire in the fireplace.

"I ordered some brandy to go with the fire," he told her as she came out of the bathroom. She had decided against her better judgment to forego the blanket sleeper she had found and was wearing a pair of silk pajamas with a robe, that she clutched around her like armor. Derek was still in his jeans and pullover. She made a face.. she didn't think she had ever had brandy before.

"Oh you have to have a toddy with a fire in a place like this Mer," he said, seeing her expression.

"Ok, " she agreed.

"I guess I'll change in the bathroom too…" he said. She nodded, thankful he was going to spare her that sight. He grinned at her before rummaging in his bag for a pair of pajama bottoms, "You know I normally don't wear pajamas, so see how nice I'm being," he told her as he waved them at her. He vanished into the bathroom, coming out a minute later with just the bottoms on. She had perched on the edge of the bed, near the fireplace and he came over to her with a glass of amber liquid and set down next to her.

She took a sip , and coughed.. brandy was not quite like the tequila she was used to. After a few more sips she started to feel all warm and tingly, and she hopped up and set the glass down on the table, before coming back to the bed. Derek raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to see things all porny, " she explained. He smirked at her.

"Am I allowed to kiss you in front of the fire?" he asked her.

"Just quickly," she replied back, before giggling at how silly that sounded.

Derek reached over for her after setting his glass on the floor, and tangled his fingers in her hair. Her heart leapt to her throat, as he pulled her into him and met her lips. He tasted like the brandy he had been drinking, and smelled like a woodfire. She inched her hands up and into his hair, pulling him closer, and failed to notice when he pulled her onto his lap, until she felt his arousal poking into her bottom.

"Derek' she squealed. "This is not not having sex!"

"We're not having sex. Surely you haven't forgotten what sex really entails have you?" He stroked her chin with his hand. "Sex means you aren't wearing these bottoms, and I'm naked and I …"

She clapped her hand over his mouth. "I think it's time for bed."

He gave her a delighted smile, and she said ,"sleeping bed." To which he gave her a mock frown. She jumped off his lap and went up to the top of the bed and pulled back the covers before sliding in. After sticking a pillow behind her to blockade him, she settled in and closed her eyes, not waiting to see what he would do next. She heard him sigh, before he came over to his side and laid down too.

"Derek," she whispered, "I'm sorry about the whole no sex thing."

He pushed the pillow out of the way and pulled her into his arms, "I'm just cuddling, I have my pants on.. still." He said defensively. She sighed and settled into him, trying to ignore the obvious fact that he wanted to more than cuddle. Deciding it was okay to cuddle with him, she closed her eyes and relaxed. Until she felt him planting gentle kisses on her neck which started to turn into those nips and bites that he knew drove her completely insane.

"Derek!"

"What?" he asked as innocently as he could, " We can't even make out?"

"You know I can't just make out with you." She answered.

"Well so I have to suffer because you have no self control?" he asked her challengingly.

Ugh she thought, he knew she couldn't resist a challenge. He was saying he could resist, but she couldn't, and he knew very well that she would be up for that challenge. Deciding to try to teach him a lesson, she decided to make out with him to the point of driving him to agony before she would roll over nonchalantly and go to sleep. Then she crossed her fingers that she could do that.

A/N

This is noway near the end of this night, but I have to get to bed and I thought it would be fun to post a little update and set things up. Glad everyone is liking the story.


	5. Chapter 5

Meredith tried to be angry at herself, she really did. But at this very moment in time, it was really hard to form a coherent thought period. Derek was using his mouth on parts of her body normally kept private, and his fingers. Her hands were tangled in his thick curly hair, and he was driving her to frenzied heights of uncontrollable bliss. It was very hard to be angry. Besides, she could always stop him afterwards and still win the.. the… uh.. she shook her head to try to clear her mind and remember what she was trying to win.

Regardless , something that felt so good could not be wrong. She felt herself start to separate from the face of the earth and float high above, just on the verge of bursting into about a million and one shattered fragments, when Derek suddenly stopped and slid up next to her. She forced herself to focus, and turned to see him laying on his pillow, his hands behind his head.

"What are you doing?" she demanded breathlessly.

He turned to look at her, a grin on his face. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips and she could taste herself on him. "I remembered the whole no sex thing , and I reigned myself in and controlled myself before we went too far." He told her innocently.

Meredith wanted to smother him with a pillow.

She sputtered before finally forming the words, "You ass!" She knew he'd won. There was not going to be the chance to teach him a lesson. She wouldn't be teasing him into submission. Derek Shephard had bested her, and frankly all she cared about was finishing what they started and that really pissed her off too.

He chuckled. She really thought about smothering him, or hitting him over the head with something blunt. Shaking her head to clear it, she focused on ignoring the pulse between her legs and calming down. Breathe Meredith, breathe, she told herself.

Closing her eyes for a minute, she finally calmed down. Opening them she saw Derek watching her appraisingly. "Thank you Derek, for keeping us in line." She smiled sweetly. She saw him arch an eyebrow, calculating what her next move was. Rolling over on top of him, she kissed him gently on the lips, before tugging on his lower lip with her teeth. Her hands roamed down his chest, to his hips, before moving to curl around him. He groaned against her lip, and she imagined he thought he'd won. Now she just had to be strong enough to stop when she was ready.

She kissed him deeply, before she smiled at him with heavy lidded eyes and then moved down his body, their eyes glued together. Still keeping eye contact, she took him in her mouth and started to make love to him. She knew it drove him crazy when she watched him and he could see how much she enjoyed what she was doing. Meredith took her time putting all her effort into covering every inch of his hardness with her tongue, lips, and the gentle nips of her teeth. His hands locked into her hair, and he let her know how much he was appreciating her efforts verbally. When she felt like he was about to tell her to stop, because he couldn't take anymore, she suddenly stopped, and climbed back up next to him in bed, stopping to kiss him on the lips lightly before turning over and settling in bed. She laughed to herself imagining what he was thinking.

"Goodnight Derek," she said, her voice muffled with laughter.

It took him a minute to reply, his voice still ragged with passion. "That is evil."

She giggled, and rolled over to face him. He was giving her their look. She decided enough was enough, and reached out to clasp him, wrapping her legs around his, before kissing him. He too the cue, and expertly flipped her on top of him, in a straddle position. She reached up on her knees and slid down on top of him, taking him inside of her. They both sighed in appreciation, their bodies taking over and sending them both crashing into ecstasy.

Meredith let her hair fall down over Derek's chest and face while she rode him, before she arched backwards when his thumb reached down and found her clit. She wanted to draw it out longer, but before she knew it she was moving in a frenzy before she exploded all around him. Derek bit his lip, their eyes locked together, as he tried to control himself and let her cum again. He knew that after she came the first time she liked him to go harder and deeper, so he flipped them over, gaining the upper level, and proceeded to give her as much as he could before he couldn't stand it any longer and exploded inside of her, feeling her start to cum again around him.

They both lay fused together trying to catch their breath. A few minutes later she said, "Do you realize we are both doctors, and yet neither one of us brought or used birth control?"

"You said we were dating but not having sex, " he rasped.

"I know what I said, but seriously… was that going to last?"

He kissed her. " I didn't think it would, but I thought you'd get mad if I brought a condom and let you know that I knew it wouldn't."

She settled into the crook of his arm, "I've got 72 hours to take the morning after pill, no worries" She noticed he was already dozing, so she curled up closer and let exhaustion and satisfaction overtake her too.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are we still not having sex?" Derek murmured in Meredith's ear, waking her up. They were laying in the oversized bed at the bed and breakfast, curled up in each other's arms. Derek had her in the circle of his arms, and she was pressed up against him, spoon fashion. From the hardness pressing into the small of her back, she gathered that he was eager for an answer. Rolling over she turned to face him, he was giving her a sexy lazy grin.

"You took advantage of me." She accused him.

"Me? I would never take advantage. I tried to stop, I definitely remember trying to stop." He said, giving her his best innocent look.

"You took advantage of me, " she said again, climbing on top of him, and easing herself onto his arousal. "Now you can say I'm taking advantage of you," she groaned, as she started to find her rhythm.

Derek cupped his hands around her tiny hips and helped guide her, too lost in sensation to form words. He lifted her up and down on top of him, satiated from the numerous times they had made love last night, he was able to go slower and take his time. Meredith's neck was arched back, pushing her breasts out, and her hair was spilling down her back. She looked like a Grecian statue of a goddess on top of him in the throes of ecstasy.

"Mer… " he called her name in a husky voice. She looked down and met his eyes, he could see her pupils were dilated and her face and chest had taken on a flush. She was starting to make those breathless little gasps she made in her throat, the ones that made him want to explode. He continued to help her move up and down on top of him with one hand, but took his other hand and used his other to find her clit, brushing against it with the pad of his thumb, and then rubbing it in circles. She started to tighten up around him, and he felt her start to cum. Instead of giving in and finishing with her, he kept his rhythm steady while she came, which made her moans grow louder and more desperate. Continuing the pace, he started to drive a little deeper inside of her each time, and it wasn't long before he felt her start to tighten more around him, if that was possible. Waiting until he felt her just peaking, he finally relaxed and let go inside of her, which allowed him to feel her go one third and final time.

Meredith collapsed on top of his chest, and they both lay there for a few minutes catching their breath. Finally she lifted her head up, and pushed her hair out of her face before she said, "ok.. that no sex rule… stupid. "

Derek grinned at her before he realized he needed to clarify. "The no sex with either one of us rule?"

Meredith looked at him for a minute letting him suffer. Then she giggled. "I'd really be a whore in that case".

"Are you going to tell Finn when we get home?" he asked her.

"That we had sex 29 times, all night?" she asked him amused.

"That you're done dating him, actually is what I meant." He said, seriously.

"Oh." She made that cute little mew with her lips, "I hadn't thought about that."

She shifted off of him and laid down beside him.

"You hadn't thought of it?" he asked her incredulously. "what's to think about?"

Meredith turned to look at Derek. "I'm just not ready yet."

"Ready for what?"

"I'm not ready to be in an exclusive relationship with you yet, I have to build trust again, and you're still married." She gave him a pleading look.

Derek reached over and kissed her on the forehead. She had a point he hated to admit. "As long as you at least don't 'take advantage' of Finn I can live with that." He told her understandingly.

Meredith smiled. Derek got her. It was nice to have someone who got you like that. "Didn't you make day plans for us?" she asked him changing the subject to a more light topic.

"I did, but isn't this much better?" he teased.

"I just don't want to wear you out, you being a hard working, overstressed, middle aged man and all."

"Middle aged! You think I'm middle aged?" Derek exclaimed.

Meredith giggled. He was too easy sometimes. Giving her best smirk, she shrugged, enjoying his angst.

"Well, it's not like I need Viagra anyways, I think we proved how middle aged I was last night and just now." Derek continued.

Meredith just shut him up with a long deep kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

They were in the car, heading back to Seattle, having run out of time on their weekend away. They had gotten to walk the beach a few times, and shopped at the quaint little stores, and spent the majority of their time in their room.

Meredith was lounging in the seat, sunning lazily, watching Derek as he drove the car. He felt her looking, and glanced over at her with a sexy smile. She shivered. This weekend had far from satisfied her appetite and desire for Derek. Instead it was like drugs, she just wanted more and more and more.

"Cut it out, if you keep looking at me like that we're going to have to pull over." He warned her. He moved his hand to her thigh, rubbing it through her jeans. She giggled.

"I guess I better see about re-starting the pill." They had both agreed that the pill would mean they didn't have to use condoms anymore, because this weekend without them had spoiled them both. Sex was so much better without. She shook her head, " we totally need to stop talking about sex, and thinking about sex right now."

"We do?" Derek looked over at her, " Who said I was thinking about it? What's wrong with thinking about it?"

"Derek… you are seriously thinking about it, you look dirty. Besides we have to work together, how are we going to do that, we can't even ride in a car together."

Derek chuckled. "I can't help it if you find me desirable, irresistible. You just have to try to control yourself." He was enjoying himself obviously. Meredith swatted him on the shoulder. "Ooooh you want to play rough? I didn't know you were into that." He continued.

Meredith sighed. He was impossible sometimes. And she was feeling impossibly turned on, and she was frustrated. When was she going to be satiated? When would she be able to stop thinking about rolling around naked with him? She ran her fingers through her hair.

Derek laughed. He had no problem with the fact that Meredith couldn't stop thinking about him naked, and the things they did when they were naked together. He couldn't stop thinking about it either. It was like someone had opened floodgates, and now that they had made love once, it was unstoppable. She glowed. And she smelled so good, he could smell her hair from where he was sitting, lavender. He was trying to figure out how to talk her into not making him go home alone ever again. He wanted to spend tonight, and every single night from now on with her wrapped in his arms, her hair where he could smell it, and the ability to make love to her whenever the fancy struck.

"You know, tonight we will be in our own beds... alone. " he said. Meredith looked at him, realizing what he said was true. She didn't say anything, so he continued, "or we could spend it together.. the night, sleep together in the same bed I mean."

Meredith bit her lip. If she brought McDreamy home now, it would be bad. Izzie did not need to hear them all night long, and Meredith admitted to the fact that she was very loud and he wasn't so quiet himself. But did she really want to sleep in that trailer? The trailer she used to love, but now it was all used and Addison had been there and they had had sex in it. Addison and Derek. She didn't think she could sleep where Addison had. "I don't think I could sleep in the trailer." She told him.

Derek nodded. He hadn't thought of that. The entire time he had been there with Addison, he had thought of it as Meredith's, Addison had been the intruder. But he could see her point, and he realized why she didn't mention her place. It would have to be a hotel then. They could figure out something long term tomorrow.

"We can get a room at the Raddison or the Hilton or somewhere downtown." He assured her.

"We could?" she asked relieved.

"We will." He told her, smiling at her happily.

She leaned back and stretched her arms over her head, it had been a long car ride. Derek watched appreciatively. "Derek, please watch the road so we don't crash and die before I get to have sex again." She joked.

Dating but not having sex sure hadn't lasted long.

A/N I don't know where else to go with this one. But I am tired and my feet hurt so maybe I just need to sleep on it.


	8. Chapter 8

They snuggled under the blankets, trying to shut out the piercing noise coming from the alarm clock on the bedside table. Meredith groaned and pushed herself up. "Hotels are for vacations, not alarm clocks waking me up." She muttered. She disentangled her legs from Derek's and swung them over the side of the bed. Prince Charming himself, grunted and tried to pull her back down with him.

"I've got rounds, and a nazi resident, I need to ingest caffeine and get." She told him as she squirmed away and out of the bed.

"It must be like midnight." He groaned.

"Close… it's four thirty, and I have to get a shower and try to look like a serious surgeon, and not the woman who stayed up ALL night with you." She stumbled to the bathroom and turned on the water, before picking up the phone and dialing for room service. Ordering coffee and deciding Derek could afford to buy her a muffin too, she jumped in the shower for a quick scrub, and then drank her coffee while she dried her hair. Derek was dead to the world, sprawled out in the middle of the bed holding her pillow. She fought the urge to climb back into bed with him, and dug in her knapsack for some clothes. Dressing, she leaned down to kiss him on the cheek before swinging her bag on her shoulder and shutting the door.

She crept along the carpeted hallway to the elevator, and leaned herself against the wall as she waited for it to take her to the lobby. She realized a floor later that she didn't have her car, they had come straight to the hotel from the road trip. Damnit. She was kicking herself and trying to decide if she should call Cristina when the doors slid open and Dr. Mark Sloane stepped onto the elevator, with a disgusting cheerful look on his face. He might as well have been whistling. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and he advanced into the elevator with her.

"Well well, Meredith Grey. What drags you into the elevator at the crack of dawn?" he asked with a smile.

"Liar, dawn has not cracked yet. Rounds Dr. Sloane, intern rounds. What brings you to Seattle?" Already having heard the story from Derek about the towel clad surgeon, she realized that they must be in the same hotel as Addison.

Mark grinned and appraised her with his eyes. "I'm sure you heard all about it already Dr. Grey. So are you in the hotel because your house had a flood, or you were doing the deed with someone here all night? And why a hotel, do you have someone else on the side?" He gave her a dirty leer and she blushed.

Deciding it wasn't important to fill him on the details of dating two men and not wanting to be in the trailer ,"So what brings you to the elevator at this time?" she tried again.

"I'm a morning person Meredith. And this body, doesn't happen on its own, I like to work out and run. I run every single day in New York. " he patted his chest, preening for her. She laughed. Mark was a fun guy , not to hard on the eyes either. She could almost understand why Addie had cheated. Almost.

"So are you and Addie…?" she trailed off.

"Back together?" he asked her grinning, "If last night was any indication, and the night before then I'd say yes. You and Derek?"

She nodded slightly, embarrassed that they were talking about this. "So you see.. life can work out sometimes on the sides of the dirty mistresses." He smiled.

She looked up at him, remembering their conversation that night and smiled back. She could see how Mark and Derek had been best friends, they both were funny, and she felt a strange closeness with Mark, probably because of Derek somehow. The elevator doors opened to the lobby, and they both stepped off.

"Have a good day Dr. Grey," he told her.

"You too Dr. Sloane." She smiled, walking outside as she dialed Cristina and asked her to pick her up.


	9. Chapter 9

Meredith was glad Cristina had brought the car instead of her bike. She strapped herself in and looked at her friend. Cristina hated mornings probably more than she did, but she needed to ask her, and now might be the only time today they were alone.

"So I need you to write me a prescription for birth control pills," she jumped in.

Cristina didn't even look at her. "I am so not giving you a vaginal exam Meredith."

"Ewww, I don't want an exam, hence why I'm asking you to give me the pills." She explained.

"I don't think so." Cristina replied.

"Why not? I need them, and I'm asking you."

"Because I said so. Go see a gynie or something."

Meredith raised her eyebrows, Cristina looked at her, "You know Addison isn't the only G-Y-N at Seattle Grace. Go see one of the others."

"Again, Ewww. I wouldn't see Dreyfuss if I was dying, and that O'Toole is just creepy. C'mon Cristina, I don't want an exam."

"Even if it wasn't wrong, I wouldn't give you a license to have McDreamy sex all over the hospital."

"I'm not…"

Cristina gave her the evil eye. "Don't even lie to me Meredith. You have sex oozing out of your pores. You had sex so many times this weekend that it's a wonder you can walk. Everyone is having sex, but me. "

"Burke's mother still?" Meredith asked incredulously.

"I'm going to hire a hit man, she says she's going to stay with Burke at home, when he gets released".

Meredith smiled sympathetically. "Maybe Burke will grow a pair and tell her to lay off."

"I doubt it." Cristina quipped.

"Please write me a prescription." Meredith begged. "I can't ask George, or Izzie obviously. And really do you want me to indebt myself to Alex?"

"Oh whatever! Honestly Mer you're impossible. What happened to dating but not having sex? What's wrong with condoms?"

"Do you and Burke use condoms?" Meredith asked.

"No, but we don't have sex with wives and best friends and boys from bars either."

Meredith winced, Cristina was not in a good mood. "Never mind, I'll ask Alex."

"Ask me what?" Alex asked walking up between the two of them in the parking lot. He draped his arms around both women's shoulders.

Cristina shrugged him off, "gross your hand touched my boob."

"You know you loved it." He said cockily.

"Why can't I be in my car so I can run him over?" Cristina asked rhetorically.

"Alex, I need a umm, well a ,"

"She wants you to write her a prescription for birth control pills so she can do McDreamy anytime she wants to, and she doesn't want you to look at her puss." Cristina cut in.

"Cristina!" Meredith yelped.

Alex gave her look. He rubbed his hands together greedily. "You want me to write you a prescription without an exam?"

"I don't smoke, I've taken them before, no history of blood clots, or stroke. Are you going to or not?" she asked impatiently.

He whipped out a prescription pad and scribbled, pausing, "Mini- or full?"

"Mini please." He signed it with a flourish and whipped it to her. "Just remember who sponsors your orgasms Grey." He said before he walked off jauntily.

Meredith and Cristina looked at each other and rolled their eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

The interns were in the locker room getting changed into scrubs, waiting for Bailey to come in and lead them to rounds.

"So Grey, You and McDreamy? What happened to the She Shephard?" Alex asked as he pulled his top over his head.

Meredith sighed, she knew that everyone was going to know sooner or later, but she would have rather later. "I guess she's going to be the She-Montgomery." She said.

George looked up. "You and Dr.Shepherd?" he asked , shocked.

"You and Callie?" Meredith asked sarcastically.

"It's just, you know.. after all that happened. You and Dr. Shepherd again.. wow."

Cristina slammed her locker shut, "get used to it bambi, might want to get some earmuffs or something."

"Rounds people." Bailey barked as she stepped into the locker room, "Or are we too busy discussing our sex lives?"

Meredith inwardly groaned, that meant Bailey had heard about her and Derek already. She quickly stepped into file after the others and headed down the hall, realizing the first patient was one of Derek's. She'd just keep mum and let Cristina present, and if Derek so much as looked at her, so help him she'd .. well she wouldn't do that, she needed those.. she'd just… ugh she was trying to work here and all she could think about was what she wanted to do with him. She looked up as he came walking in.

"Good morning people." He stopped and gave her a killer grin, before turning to the patient and greeting her. He was so going to pay for that. She listened as Cristina presented, thankful when he handed the chart to Yang. They filed out , and at the end of rounds gathered around Bailey for their assignments.

"Yang, Neuro, O'Malley pit, Karev you with me today, Grey.. Dr. Montgomery, "she clearly enunciated Montgomery. Meredith groaned. "Problem Grey?" Bailey asked sharply. Meredith shook her head and headed off the Nicu to look for her attending.

Alex patted her on the back as she walked off, "thanks for screwing the she shepherds husband so I could get off the vagina squad anytime you need some more sex pills you look me up Mer."

Meredith shot him a nasty look before she hopped on the elevator.


	11. Chapter 11

Meredith got off the elevator, looking around nervously. She hadn't really interned much up here, and she hadn't seen Addison since Derek and her had ended it. She went up to the nurse's station, asking a nurse where Dr. Shepherd was.

"You mean Dr. Montgomery? She's in the Nicu, do you want me to page her?"

"No no, I'll meet her in there." Meredith sighed. She went to the nicu entrance, scrubbed her arms and hands, before donning a mask and a gown and entered. Addison was leaning over a bassinet listening to a baby's lungs.

She glanced up as Meredith approached.

"Dr. Grey." She nodded curtly.

"Dr. She.. Add…uh Montgomery." Meredith stammered.

Addison gave a wry smile, "I'm in the process of divorcing my husband of eleven years, and I will be taking back my maiden name, so I am Dr. Montgomery now. But, I'm sure you already know all about that, I heard all about your dating and weekend trip."

"Addison, " Meredith started.

Addison held up a hand,"You don't need to explain anything to me Meredith, I understand that my husband doesn't love me anymore because he loves you. He loves you so much, he carries your worn panties around in his pocket… What he did with them, I'd rather leave a mystery. You won. I can't compete. He spent all this time while I was here walking around like a zombie. I saw the longing looks, and I am tired of being the Satan that kept McDreamy away from Meredith."

Meredith looked away. She would rather Addison yell and be bitchy, than appear so broken.

"Look… I don't blame you. Well a little. I mean you walked away, he was the one chasing. You went through a lot. And I like you. I think you're going to be a fine surgeon. You're a good person. I just am having trouble with the fact that you lied to me about sleeping with him."

Meredith started. "Addison, When you asked me that, I had NOT slept with Derek. I never, NEVER intended what happened to happen. I was moving on. I wouldn't do that, it just happened. " She stopped, thinking before she continued, " I know you understand that after Mark."

Addison looked at the younger woman. She nodded. She did understand all to easy how it could happen.

"Meredith, this baby has rhonchi and wheezes in her upper and lower left lobes, Order a stat chest x-ray, and let's start some Levaquin IV for now." She indicated for Meredith to step over and listen, handing over her stethoscope.

Meredith walked over, relieved that at least for now the discussion was over and they were going to be able to work together. "Do you think it's RDS?"

"Exactly, Baby was 36 weeks, and should have been ok. Mom should have had betamethasone just in case though. They induced over at Mercy for pre-eclampsia without thinking about that."

Meredith listened to the babies chest, before she went over to the phone to call radiology. Addison scribbled some orders and progress notes, before she stepped over to Meredith.

"After you get the x-ray, I will be doing a c-section in two, twins. Scrub in."

Meredith nodded. Addison stopped in the doorway, "I don't hate you Grey." And then she walked out.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N I am totally going to freak out if I don't get home in time tomrrow night to watch GA. I have a 12 hr shift, but we are super busy, and the nurses tonight didn't even get off til 8:15. Keep your fingers crossed.

"Did you check on Izzy?" George asked as he came over to her table in the cafeteria courtyard.

"She was actually going out to go get some groceries." Meredith told him as she bit into her sandwich.

"Hows it going it with Addison?" he asked her. "You and McDreamy again?"

"We're only dating, he's getting divorced. I have it under control George." Meredith assured him.

"I hope so, because I can't handle two despondent roomies at the same time. Oh by the way, it's ok if Callie sleeps over for awhile?"

"Define a little while," Meredith said, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe indefinitely." He said.

"Ahhh. I see. Our turn to listen to loud sex?"

George blushed. "That's fine Georgie, it's your house too." She smiled.

"So Grey, getting a lot of hot sex?" Alex asked as he came over and plopped into a chair. He took a huge swig of Meredith's drink.

"Gross." She pushed it over to him to have.

"I don't have germs. You'd like swapping spit with me." He teased her.

"Meredith is just dating Dr. Shepherd." George said.

Alex laughed. "Yeah and they need birth control pills for bowli….OWWWW" Meredith kicked him really really hard in the shin, a satisfying kick.

Alex got it, she hadn't told Bambi. "Birth control?" George asked confused.

"It's a joke O'Malley."

"Ohhh haha ha." George said. He scooted over as Cristina slammed her tray down.

"That Woman…. I went in to see Burke, and she wouldn't leave. And then after a few minutes I needed to get out of there, or beat her head into the hospital wall, so when I went to kiss him, she stepped between.. SHE STEPPED BETWEEN us, and said 'Now Cristina Preston needs his rest."

She rang her hands together like she was strangling someone.

"I'm going to kill her Mer, and then Burke won't like me anymore because I killed his mommy."

Meredith made a sympathetic face. "Seriously. If she comes home with him, I'm staying with you until she leaves."

"Callie is moving into," George piped up.

"Greeeeat, it will be like a freaking dorm party. Oooh I know, we can do bonfires, and watch videos and eat popcorn." Cristina said.

"Really?" George asked excited.

"No.. HELL NO. Jesus, do I look like I would even remotely want to watch movies and eat popcorn like some teenager with you and your ortho chick girlfriend?"

"Geeze Cristina, you don't have to abuse Georgie because Mrs. Burke is kinda bitchy."

"Yeah whatever. Just imagine if Derek's mother as some dragon… ancient wrinkled interfering high pitched dragon, with really sharp claws."

"Sucks to be you Yang." Alex said as he stood up and walked off.

"I've got to get back to the Nicu, sorry." Mer said as she stood up with her tray.

"You can tell me about it," George told her , trying to be nice.

"Whatever." Cristina muttered as she too, stood up and walked off.


	13. Chapter 13

"Meredith! Wait." Meredith sighed as she heard Finn call her, as she was walking to her car in the hospital parking lot. She had been back from the coast with Derek for almost two days and had successfully avoided talking to him.. .until now. She just hadn't felt ready to face him. She knew he was thinking she was still ready to try to take their relationship to the next level, and she just couldn't do it. He was a great guy, perfect really, but she had to admit that she wasn't really heading anywhere with him. Sighing she turned towards him, pasting a smile on her face.

"Meredith," he huffed as he caught up to her, he hugged her close and she patted his back, not sure what to do.

"I tried to reach you all weekend." He told her.

"I was pretty busy this weekend, I went to the coast to do some visiting."

"Family?" he asked her.

"No… umm a friend." She said. He raised an eyebrow, but then smiled at her again.

She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "So.."

"Are we still on for tonight?" He asked her.

"Tonight?" she echoed. He made a mock sad face, "don't tell me you forgot already."

Meredith wracked her brain trying to figure out what was tonight.

"I made reservations at that French place that just opened… remember?"

"Crap," she thought silently she did remember. She nodded, and smiled weakly.

"I'll pick you up at your house around 7:30. I can't wait." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips before jogging off.

She made her way to her car, unlocked it and slid in. Resting her forehead on the steering wheel, she wondered what the hell she had gotten herself into.

She dialed Derek to tell him that she had plans , hoping he wouldn't be too disappointed.

"Hey," she said softly into the phone when he answered.

"Hey yourself, you got to leave early I see."

"Yeah….Uh…About tonight."

"Yes?" he asked her cockily.

"I have previous plans. Actually I didn't remember til I was reminded. So I can't meet you at Joe's tonight. Sorry."

Derek chuckled into the phone. "You're really going to make me ride a white horse and swing from vines aren't you?"

"And jump through hoops," she added, relieved he wasn't angry or upset. "K, I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Call me after McVet drops you home." He told her.

"I will call you after Finn brings me home, if it isn't too late." She told him.

"I think he has an eleven o'clock curfew." Derek retorted , before telling her goodbye and ringing off.


	14. Chapter 14

They were all hanging around the nurse's station a few days later, waiting for Bailey. Cristina and Meredith were discussing their problems, Burke's mother and Meredith's two boyfriends.

"That woman cuts his meat. She cuts up his meat into little tiny toddler size bites. Who does that?"

"Derek crashed my lunch date by offering me an awesome brain surgery, and Finn crashed my dinner date by bringing me ice cream, and I was going to let Derek get lucky."

Cristina stopped, "Are you even listening to me? She cuts up his meat before he eats."

Meredith tossed her hair and looked at her friend. She was having a crisis. "Just tell Burke how you feel." She told her.

Cristina snorted. "As if…. Hey Burke… Mama is driving me nuts and I think she's evil. That would go over well."

Meredith started to laugh, before she suddenly clutched her mouth, and ran over to the wastebasket and uploaded the contents of her stomach, a donut and coffee into it. Holding her hair back she wretched a minute more, before standing up and groaning. Embarassed she turned and headed for the bathroom.

"Jesus Mer, are you pregnant?" Cristina asked very loudly… loud enough that several people who all happened to be around all looked up in shock.

Meredith groaned and ran into the safe confines of the bathroom, vowing to kill Cristina later.

The door pushed open behind her, "Well."

"I didn't get a chance to get the pills filled yet, but there's just no way Cristina." Meredith said, as she washed out her mouth and her face.

"Brilliant! That's probably the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say."

"Could you be hungover? The Flu?"

"I haven't drank in awhile." Meredith said.

Cristina sighed, "You're an intern. What are you going to do?".

"I can't be pregnant." Meredith restated.

"Well I'll just draw some blood and we'll run it." Cristina said taking over. "You need to know as soon as possible so you can decide what you want to do."

Meredith hung her head. "This…. Is not how I pictured my morning."

Cristina shook her head, "Meet me in exam four after you get all the puke out of your hair." And she headed out.

Meredith took a minute to get herself together before heading out of the bathroom. She wanted to vanish when she saw Derek pacing outside the door, waiting for her. Just what she needed.

"Meredith?" he asked with relief when he saw her.

She just looked at him, not sure what to say, or what he had heard.

"Are you?"

She gave him a blank look, so he had heard.

"Meredith, are you …. Pregnant?" he asked quietly.

She tried to read his expression. "I don't know.. I got a prescription, but I didn't get it filled yet, and Cristina wants to draw some blood and see…. I'm not sure if I'm ready to know…. If I am."

Derek smiled at her, and put his arm around her waist, "let's go get that blood drawn and send it down stat."

"Derek…. I'm an intern. I have a married boy-"

"Getting a divorce." He cut in.

"Fine, getting a divorce boyfriend, and a very nice other boyfriend, and I'm a intern. And if I am.. that means it's yours…. And oh my God." She said closing her eyes and wishing she could just die.

Derek pulled her close. "We can do this."

Meredith looked at him, closely. He was happy. Not freaking out like she was. "Derek, I'm an intern. I can't have a baby. I'm an intern."

"I'm an attending, and yes we can have a baby." He told her.

"No Derek, you know what happens to interns who get pregnant." She watched as his face fell, and his eyes turned a dark steely blue.

"I see." He said. "I've got to check on a patient." And he walked off leaving Meredith with her mouth agape.

What did that mean? He wanted a baby? Wanted her to have a baby?

Shaking her head she headed to the exam room.


	15. Chapter 15

Meredith couldn't stop thinking about the look on Derek's face. She had never seen him so upset. It wasn't just an angry look, it was sad too. Surely he didn't think she could have a baby. She was a single intern. Interns worked like 27 days a week. Besides, they weren't even really in a relationship yet. She felt devastated remembering his eyes being so unlike the eyes she loved so well. She leaned against the wall for a minute unable to overcome the tears that had been threatening to spill.

"Hey. None of that. "

Meredith looked up as she heard Mark's voice, and someone reached out and guided her into an empty patients room. Shutting the door behind them he pulled her over to the made hospital bed and sat her down.

"Meredith. You need to know. You need to know what happened with Derek and Addison, that killed them. What really drove the wedge in their marriage. I'm surprised he never told you."

Meredith looked up at him, confused.

"Did you never wonder why two prominent doctors in their early forties never had children? Especially an OB-GYN. And Derek, well his family is made for breeding lots of kids. He has about 400 nieces and nephews it seems."

"I asked him once…. If things would have been different if they had kids." She said softly afraid to hear what might be coming. Did Derek have kids somewhere?

Mark sighed, he hadn't wanted to be in the middle of Derek and Meredith, but this was something she needed to know, and he was telling her to save their relationship, if it could be. He was doing it for Derek.. and for himself. He wanted Derek and Meredith together for his own selfish reasons yes, but also because he hadn't seen his old friend this way.. well ever really, but happy for a long time.

"Derek and I, we were friends before Addie. From college. Addie came in our med school years. She was interested in Derek from the start, but he wasn't biting. He liked to date , never med students, he stuck to the fluff, him and I together, not having time to forge on relationships. But Addison, she was headstrong. She wanted Derek, and she wasn't going to leave him alone until she had him. She is a determined woman. She hung around us, he came to admire her for her brains, I think more than her looks. I think both of us realized at the same time how amazing she was, smart and drop dead gorgeous. I told him I was going to ask her out if he was sure he didn't want to, and it made him consider her again. Then they were just Derek and Addison. The perfect couple. We all remained friends. They got married, we all had our work, we were making names for ourselves, the money was coming in. It was a charmed life. Derek had joined a practice and he was getting settled, and he wanted a family. Addison kept putting him off, determined to make a giant name for herself. Until, somehow… she ended up pregnant. She was really sick, puking all day, and he said he finally asked her if she was pregnant, which made her burst into tears. He was elated, finally a baby. But Addison told him there was no way she could take time out to have a baby now. Things were starting to happen for her, and they could do it later."

Meredith gasped.

He nodded, continuing, "Derek wasn't the kind, isn't the kind of man to assert himself over what a woman wants, he told her whatever she wanted. She chose to abort. I think he stopped caring when she told him she couldn't have a baby. It killed the feelings he had for her, when she killed the baby. He started working really late, and she was alone more and more, so I tried to step in for him. She decided a few years later to try to have a baby to try to make things better, but come to find out she had adhesions on her uterus and tubes, and couldn't conceive. She tried to talk him into other means, but he didn't want to. He told her they were too busy. I don't think he ever forgave her."

Meredith was crying, realizing how much it must have hurt him to hear her say that. Mark hugged her and then he tilted her chin up and looked at her. "Grey, if you are pregnant, you need to think long and hard. Surgeons can have babies. And even Interns, they have done it, if you want to. If you don't then you have that choice to make too. But I thought you needed all the facts. Derek won't do you wrong, and he wouldn't pretend to be happy if he wasn't. I saw him after he talked to you, he's devastated. I hope you can work this out."

Meredith nodded. She needed to talk to Derek. He should have told her all of this before. If she was pregnant she would love a baby, as scared as she was, she had been more scared Derek wouldn't be really happy about it. And being a single mom was scary yes, but could she really kill a baby for her career? She knew she was afraid to be Ellis, but wouldn't her being a better mother be better than not being one?

She stood up, "thank you Mark." She smiled at him and headed to find Derek.


	16. Chapter 16

Meredith had stopped in to let Cristina draw a tube of blood, before running out and looking for Derek. She had checked his office, and all the other usual hangouts, before she finally gave in and tried his cell.

"Hello?" he asked sounding tired.

"Derek…. Where are you? I've been looking all over." Meredith asked him.

" I didn't want to be found right now." He told her, sighing.

"We need to talk Derek." She told him, not liking how scared she was to hear his answer.

She heard him sigh before he agreed, and told her to come to the bridge. Meredith slammed her phone shut and took off, not caring at all that Bailey was probably wondering where the hell she was. She arrived next to him a minute later, he was facing out over the bridge, leaning on it. He didn't look at her as she approached.

"Derek." She said, announcing her presence.

He turned away and looked at her. He must have seen the fear in her eyes, because his face changed, and he immediately reached forward and took her into his arms. She could hear him murmuring into her hair, "I love you Mer, I love you." She felt herself tear up. She pulled back and looked at him, into the eyes she loved.

"I'm scared Derek. When I realized I could be pregnant… I thought so many things. I mean we have just started here, you and me… us. I don't want you to feel like you have to be tied to me. And how do I handle an internship and a baby? I mean if you wanted to be part of the babies life, that would be great, but I wouldn't let you tie yourself to me over a baby. I just.."

Derek stopped her with a deep, soul searching kiss. "Meredith. There doesn't have to be a baby to tie me to you. That happened a long time ago. I've had it in my head to marry you for.. ever. And babies. All on my list. Baby now, baby later, I'll take what you give me. And if no babies ever…." He looked deep into her eyes, "I'll still love you just as much as I do right now and I'll be the happiest man in the world. A baby now, all that means is I get to force you to be my wife sooner, and I don't have as many grey hairs when the baby graduates. But nothing could change my feelings for you."

Meredith sighed. Derek was making her cry. She buried her face in his chest and let a few tears fall, able to appreciate for a minute the feelings running over her and the thought that she might actually be pregnant. She pulled back and looked up at him with a smile.

"If I am, I guess we're having a baby. Won't Bailey love me?"

"Who couldn't love you? Besides, Bailey just had a baby, she's all gooey with mommy feelings secretly inside, and she couldn't be upset about a baby."

"Riiiiiiight." Meredith laughed.

"C'mon, let's go see if your labs are back." Derek said, before whisking her to the lab.


	17. Chapter 17

Meredith walked up to the clerk at the desk. "I need the lab report for Grey please." She told him.

"Just a sec." the busy clerk told her, phone to his ear.

Meredith nodded and stepped back with Derek. They were holding hands, waiting.

"Babies.. are a lot of work. They cry. And excrete stuff. And seriously cut into sleep. Interns never get to sleep anyways." She told him, nervously.

"Well I guess the attending will have to deal with the majority of night stuff, so the studious intern can get rest." Derek said with a smile.

"I heard it hurts to give birth." She said.

"That part I can't help with, sorry." He said sheepishly.

"We'll need an OB-GYN…. And I don't think Addison is it." Meredith said.

Derek chuckled. "Uh..no, I don't think we're all that comfortable yet."

The clerk held out a paper…."Grey?" he asked her.

Meredith reached forward and snatched it from his hand. "thanks."

She walked back over to Derek and handed it to him. "I can't look."

He scanned it for a minute, and sighed.

"What?" she demanded.

He pulled her into his arms ," it doesn't mean we can't decide to have one."

Meredith looked at the paper, negative for pregnancy. She was disappointed. She had thought she would be kind of relieved. "I guess it was the flu."

Derek counted, "It's only been three weeks. Sometimes it's too early to tell still."

"I'm sure the blood test would have picked up an elevated hcg level. It just wasn't meant to be."

"I think you need to have a pelvic to make sure."

"You have a pelvic." She told him.

"That's your field not mine."

"I'll call Dr. Chandler, and ask him to see you this afternoon briefly. Okay?"

Meredith sighed. "Fine."

She was really disappointed. She felt empty. And now sad that Derek had wanted it so bad he was grasping at straws. "I've got to run before Bailey kills me slowly instead of quickly for being late. I'll see you at lunch." She reached up and kissed him lightly before running off.

"Where have you been?" Cristina asked as she walked up.

"Good news.. I didn't kill the rabbit." Meredith said sardonically.

"Wait a minute… your upset that you're not?"

"nooo.. well maybe some yeah."

"God Meredith, as if you need an eight pound drool lump right now. Seriously."

Cristina walked off shaking her head.


	18. Chapter 18

"Everything okay Grey?" Bailey asked her as they walked down the hall to their patient. In as nice a way as Bailey could ask.

"Yeah." Meredith answered her quietly.

"Lots of changes going on around here." Bailey continued. "New Plastic Surgeon, new last name for Dr. Montgomery, new interns dating attendings.. well the same ones really, Stevens is back, lots of changes."

Meredith looked at Bailey. She looked at her intern and shrugged her shoulders. "Just saying is all."

"I'm sorry if you're going to have a problem with me and Derek Dr. Bailey. But I think it's obvious that it's better if we are together than apart now."

Miranda stopped and put her hand on Meredith's arm. "Meredith, that's not what I'm saying. Just take your time, and look out for yourself. You interns will be done pretty soon, and becoming residents. And I think you have a bright future, and yes I think it's obvious that Shephard is your Dr. McSmarmy, or whatever you guys call him, just keep your focus, and don't let him hurt you again."

Meredith stopped, surprised. "Okay." She said, not sure what else to say.

Miranda coughed, and covered for her moment of kindness, "run down and get the labs so we can see if Mr. Springer is going to be having surgery today." Meredith scurried off.

She spent the rest of her early afternoon charting, and checking on patients, before she finally took off to go meet Dr. Chandler upstairs. Derek had called her cell to ask her if he should come with her, but she had declined.

She got off the elevator at the same time that Dr. Chandler was coming out of another room and heading to his office. "Meredith, how nice to see you. Ready for a checkup?"

"Hi Dr. Chandler." Meredith answered.

"How's your mother?" he asked kindly.

"Oh, she's .. you know… the same. But good." She replied.

"Your mother was a helluva surgeon. It's a damn shame. C'mon back, let's get started."

They entered together to the OB-GYN office wing, and the nurse took Meredith back to an exam room, giving her a paper gown to put on, and a sheet to cover her lap with.

Meredith was laying on the cold steel table, trying to pretend she was in a really cool surgery, when her thoughts were broken.

"I want to do an ultrasound, we might as well do it now, since we have one in the office. I'll get it, be right back."

An ultrasound? For what. When he came back in she asked him.

"I feel masses in your uterus, and I want to take a closer look. When was your last period again?"

"Oh, about six weeks ago." Meredith replied.

"Heavy? Light?" he asked as he loaded the probe with cold gel and began to move it around her abdomen.

"Light, but crampy, like usual." She told him.

"Ahhhh… see here, " he pointed to the screen." Fibroids, you have uterine fibroids."

"Well, that's fairly common isn't it? I mean it's not serious." She said.

"I think we'll need to do a lap and clean them up though. Not uncommon though. Especially in users of oral contraceptives. Which I'm glad your not on, I don't want you to take them anymore, they can promote the growth."

Meredith thought of the prescription she hadn't gotten filled yet.

"Everything else looks okay though?" She asked.

"I don't see any endometriosis. Everything looks good and viable. The pap looked good."

Meredith sighed with relief. She was a little disappointed she wasn't pregnant, but she had known from the labs she wasn't. "So if I can't use the pill… what do I do? Depo?"

"I don't want you to use any hormonal means. Condoms are your best bet, I don't fit nulliparas with IUD's. How about we schedule to remove the fibroids for next week? Alene out front will be able to work it out with you."

"Great, thanks Dr. Chandler." She smiled. She waited until he left before getting dressed again and scheduling an appointment. Heading back down to the surgical floor, she bumped into Derek.

"Hey." He smiled at her.

"Hey." She said.

"So.." he asked.

"Fibroids. My uterus grows fibroids. And I can't use any kind of hormones. So that means condoms. And he's going to remove them next Tuesday."

"Fibroids huh?" he asked. "Condoms? Why do we have to use anything?"

"Umm so I don't get pregnant, we do seem to have sex an awful lot, chances are something would happen eventually."

"So let it, let's take our chances. Throw our tails to the wind, or however the say it. I mean you'd be a resident before the baby was born anyways."

Meredith looked at him. "I'd really like for you to be divorced first."

Derek nodded. He kissed her and smiled, "I can see that."

"I've got to run, I told Bailey I'd be back."

"I'll pick you up in the lobby at 8." He told her.


	19. Chapter 19

Derek looked over the papers, nodding slightly as he read. "How's it look Derek?" Steven his lawyer asked.

Derek looked up and smiled. "It looks good. She can have the Brownstone, the Malibu house, all her trusts back, and I'll take the cabin and my Seattle property. Sales of the rest, to be split, and the stocks to be divided, it would be silly to sell them. This all looks good. Has Addison seen them yet?"

Steven handed him a pen, " I had them couriered to her lawyer's office this morning, she should see them before tonight."

"Excellent job Steven." Derek smiled as he signed the papers and dated them. He handed the pen back and gathered his copy into a folder. "So how long until it goes through?"

"About 90 days. I'll file them as soon as Addison signs. I'll let you know how it goes and when I get to file them."

Derek stood up and shook Steven's hand. "Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you."

He had hired Steven before when he had first come to Seattle, when he was looking for property and when he was looking at divorce papers the first time. Now, he had finally signed and in three months he would be divorced. And able to propose marriage to the woman he loved.


	20. Chapter 20

"So I talked to Steven today." Derek told Meredith over dinner. They were at a little Italian café they had discovered , having family style spaghetti with Italian sausage.

"Steven?" she asked him, taking a sip of her red wine.

"My lawyer, Steven." He told her with a grin.

"Oh." She said, before taking another sip.

"I signed the papers, and Steven will be filing them this week, once Addison signs. All very amicable. And it will be done and official in ninety days." He sat back with a satisfied smirk.

"The divorce?" she asked him. "Ninety days?"

"Ninety days." He affirmed.

She smiled at him. "So do I offer condolences or congratulations?"

"Clearly you are very funny. Ha ha ha so funny. Does it make you nervous to think I will be single?"

"Nervous? Why would I be nervous. I won't be an adulterous whore anymore. Hmm what could they call me instead, slutty.. no we did that, what do you call a woman who sleeps with a divorced man?"

"What about Dr. Shephard?" he asked her, giving her a dreamy look. He half rose and pulled out a jewelry box.

"Oh my God." Meredith gasped. She stared wide eyed at the box he was starting to open. Derek got up and walked over to her, and kneeled down beside her chair. The box snapped open, and a gigantic diamond ring sat on a bed of velvet. It was a gigantic pear shaped diamond, set in white metal, Meredith guessed maybe platinum.

"Meredith, since the moment I met you, I fell in love with you. And my entire life changed, and I realized that the things I used to think were important meant nothing. All I needed was you and I want the opportunity to spend every single holiday, every single birthday, and every single night with you. I want to see you grow pregnant with our children, and I want to see you reach all your goals and dreams. I want to be the person you turn to whenever you need someone, or want something. And if you would agree to become my wife, I promise I will work every day to be the man you deserve."

Tears were shining in his eyes as he looked at her, and saw that she already had tears slipping down her cheeks. "Derek." She said softly.

"Is that a yes?" he asked her, feeling a little anxious.

She leaned forward and took his face in her hands, and stared into his eyes for a minute, a painful minute where he held his breath and time stopped, before she met his lips with her own and whispered yes against them. They both startled as people began clapping at the tables around them.

Derek stood up and pulled her against him, not caring that they were the dinner entertainment, and picked her up in his arms and swung her around, before setting her down and kissing her deeply. He slid the ring onto her finger, and they both started at in awe, as it overwhelmed her delicate hand. "That's how I'm going to love you, overwhelmingly."

"Will you two want any dessert, or just congratulations and the bill Dr. Shephard?" the waiter asked a minute later, standing off to the side discreetly.

Derek chuckled, "Just the bill please." He looked at Meredith and she nodded, unable to take her eyes off him. He helped her into her coat and she reached up and whispered to him, "You are going to get so lucky tonight."


	21. Chapter 21

Meredith and Derek drove home, fast. He maneuvered his car through the streets of Seattle expertly, some piano music playing on the radio. They didn't speak much. Meredith couldn't stop looking at her hand, with the giant diamond sparkling on her finger. She looked up and realized they were driving further into the downtown.

"Derek?" she asked him.

He turned and looked at her smiling. "Tonight we don't need roommates, or a trailer. Tonight we are going to sleep in expensive linen, and drink very expensive champagne."

"Oh we are?" she asked him with a smile.

"We are." He affirmed. He pulled the car into the circle of the , and they got out and handed the car over to the valet. With his arm around her waist, they walked into the lobby.

"We don't have any clothes here Derek." She whispered to him.

"We can buy some." He assured her. They walked up to the desk. "My brand new fiancée and I have a reservation, for tonight, the Queen Victoria suite. I would also like to have a bottle of cristal, and some strawberries and chocolate delivered shortly after please. It's under Dr. Derek Shepherd."

The concierge nodded and started typing, before handing over a card key and summoning a bell hop. "We don't have any luggage." Derek told him.

"Very well Sir, follow me." He led them through the plush lobby to the elevator. Meredith gazed around in awe. Derek held her hand in the elevator, giving her his McDreamiest smile.

"Can you afford this?" she asked him quietly.

Derek laughed. "Should I show you my bank books before you tell everyone you're marrying me?"

"Will I be impressed?" she asked him teasingly. "I mean you do live in a trailer…."

"Do you know how much that trailer cost?" he asked her incredulously. She shook her head. He leaned over, pushed her hair back and whispered in her ear. Her eyes grew large. "That's more than my mother's house cost!"

Derek chuckled. "So I guess you weren't after me for the money?" She punched him lightly in the arm. He caught her fist in his, and gave her a suggestive look, before he opened her palm and trailed his fingers along it.

"Derek, " Meredith whispered hoping the bellhop didn't hear, "We are in an elevator."

"We do things in elevators." He whispered back to her with a sly grin.

"You better behave yourself until we get to the room." She muttered. If it wasn't for the bellhop she was pretty sure she'd be getting herself in trouble.

"I ordered room service, it will be longer yet." He told her.

They got off the elevator and walked down a plushly carpeted hallway to their suite. The bellhop opened the door and showed them inside, lighting some candles and turning on some lights. "Would you like a fire Sir?" he asked him. Derek nodded, and he knelt down and started a fireplace in the living room. "The bedroom fireplace too Sir?" Again Derek nodded. Finally he had everything set up and Derek tipped him before he excused himself.

Meredith was looking around in awe. The balcony had an amazing view of Seattle and the sound and the lights. A knock sounded at the door, and when Derek opened it, they brought in a wheeled cart with a bottle of champagne on ice, some flutes, and a platter of strawberries dipped in chocolate. After they left, he poured them both a glass. He motioned Meredith to join him on the sofa in front of the fireplace.

"The strawberries bring out the taste of the champagne." He told her, as he fed her one before letting her take a sip.

"Mmmm." She said, savoring the flavor and sensations in her mouth. Derek nuzzled her neck.

"Shouldn't we drink some of this expensive stuff before it goes flat?" she asked him wickedly.

Derek took a sip of champagne, and then brought her lips to his, to kiss her, letting the champagne sink into the kiss. Meredith pulled back a few minutes later, "Ok that is so much better than tequila."

"Meredith, have you ever made love in front of a fireplace? Or in a Jacuzzi tub?" he asked her, slipping the straps of her dress off of her shoulder. They got up and sank down in front of the fireplace, on the luxurious carpet, both slowly undressing each other. The lights were dim, and the fireplace gave off a flickering light and heat. Derek laid her down , spreading her hair out around her, before he started to lightly run his fingers over her neck and collarbone, following them with his lips and tongue. The champagne was making her feel light and floaty, and his kisses were making her skin tingle, and she felt like she was in a giant glass of champagne. She gasped as first his fingers traced her nipple, and then his hot mouth covered it. Her hands weaved in his hair.

"Derek…" she moaned.

He pulled up and looked at her, the firelight was dancing on her skin and she looked like a goddess. "Shhh." He told here before he moved to her other nipple. His hands traced circles down her waist, around her hips, before moving to the core of her and stroking teasingly.

She sighed as his mouth followed his fingers and he started to make love to her with it. She tried to push him away, not sure she could stand it, but he caught her wrists in his hands and stilled her. Giving in to the pleasure, she tangled her fingers in his hair, and let him lead her into oblivion. After she crashed back down to earth, she tried to pull him up to her, but he made her stay as he brought her into another harder orgasm.

She cried out to him, begging him to stop, and in an instant he was on top of her, and she could feel him pushing at the juncture between her thighs with his hardness. He entered her with a groan, and she felt herself clench around him and cum again. She opened her eyes and met his, he was biting his lip as he waited for her to finish, not wanting to it to be over. His eyes were smokey and dark, and he met her lips with his, as he started to move inside of her. Meredith raised her legs up higher and felt him move deeper inside of her. Together they began to dance, with him making long, slow deep strokes inside of her, until she finally thought she was going to expire, and she started to have an orgasm from deep inside. Derek couldn't hold back any longer, she was making those little sexy whimpers that she made, and her body was hugging him so tightly, like a velvet sheath, that he started to cum too. A few minutes later they lay together still, trying to catch their breath.

"That's why I said yes." She told him, when she finally could breathe.

"That's why I asked." He teased her. He rolled off of her, and laid next to her, pulling her over into the crook of his arms. They lay there for a few minutes together, enjoying the fire.

"So.. you said Jacuzzi tub?" she asked him.

"You are insatiable." He told her, kissing her. "What was that… three times?"

"Four." She admitted.

"Don't forget, I am middle aged. You don't want to give me a heart attack."

"But then just think of all this money I'll inherit." She teased him. She stood up and dashed into the bathroom to run the tub. It was a large round raised bathtub, definitely large enough to accommodate the both of them. She let it fill with hot soapy water, while she lit some of the candles around.

"I could get very used to this," she called to him.

He came into the bathroom, naked still, smiling. "You mean all the sex?" he asked her.

"No, Jacuzzi tubs, and champagne…" she gave him a flirty laugh.

"Anything you want." He told her earnestly.

"What I want right now Dr. Shepherd, is for you to join me in the bathtub." She didn't need to ask him twice.


	22. Chapter 22

Meredith stocked her purse in her locker and stuck her hair in a ponytail. Derek had dropped her off at the hospital early this morning. She made sure her locker was closed and locked, she had a god knows how much it cost ring stashed in her change purse. She was a little early, so she headed out to the nurses station to check charts and see what they had today.

Hunched over a chart reading, she didn't hear anyone walk up behind her, "Hey." Derek said as he stuck his arms around her waist. She jumped.

"Dr. Shepherd!" she hissed.

"Dr. Grey." He said archly. He gave her his irresistible grin.

"Not here!" she told him. "Not in the hospital."

"Meredith, we are engaged." He told her quietly. He glanced at her hand, which was bare.

"Seriously, do you think I could wear that doing rounds or surgery?" she asked him before he could comment.

He nodded, she had a point. "But you are going to show everyone afterwards, and we are letting them know right."

Meredith shifted. "Uhhhhh."

"We aren't?" he asked her exasperatedly.

"Well, if you won't I'll tell them." He said after a minutes pause.

"Tell who what?" Cristina asked as she sauntered over to see the chart Meredith was reading.

Meredith started, "Ohh.. nothing. Nothing." She smiled at her friend, and tried to give Derek the evil eye at the same time.

"Okay Meredith, seriously, you suck as a liar. Tell who what?" she asked again.

Derek looked at Meredith with a smug look, before he turned to Cristina with a giant grin. Meredith sunk her face into her hands, defeated.

"Dr. Grey here, has agreed to become my wife." He said.

Cristina snorted. "Don't you have to be divorced, or are you doing the mormon thing?"

Derek laughed. "You people are anal about the divorce thing. For your information Dr. Yang, the papers are signed and will be processed in eighty seven days."

"And Meredith agreed to marry you?" she looked at her friend for confirmation.

Meredith looked up, and glared at both of them. "Why don't we just take the damn magic marker and write it on the OR board so EVERYONE can know as soon as possible. Oh wait, what about sky writers? Or a newspaper ad? SERIOUSLY!" she huffed and stormed back to the locker room to stew.

Derek looked at Cristina and shrugged. "How much do you think Sky writers cost?"

Cristina chuckled. "Wow, some happy blushing bride you have there, congratulations Dr. Shepherd." She headed back to the locker room to finish harassing Meredith.

Meredith was parked on the bench, staring at the lockers in front of her stewing.

"So what, so you're engaged. Deal. You want to marry him, so don't act all coy."

Meredith sighed. "It's not that, it's the whole homewrecking adulterous whore gossip thing."

"But if you're engaged, you aren't an adulterous whore anymore. Homewrecking yes, but not a whore."

Meredith stared at her friend. "As always I can always count on you to make me feel better."

"Meredith, it's not a big deal. If they want to gossip, which they will, screw it. You are happy, you're marrying the man you love, and if anyone has a problem with it, who cares?"

Cristina had a point. Who cared. Was she going to hide it forever? Stop her life because people might talk about her.

"You should see the ring. It's like a baseball." She grinned, standing up to unlock her locker and show it.

"Holy hell batman, it's a softball. I wonder how much that thing cost, we should get it appraised."

"Cristina!" Meredith exclaimed.

"Seriously. If Burke ever decides to propose, not that I want him to… but if he did, he has some major competition."

Meredith laughed and tucked it back away. "I just feel weird letting people know."

"I get that, but they are going to know anyways with the way gossip spreads. May as well get it out so it can die down faster."

Meredith nodded, agreeing, and they headed back to the nurse's station to wait for Bailey and the others.


	23. Chapter 23

Meredith made it through her morning, discharging patients, running labs, and finishing charts. Around one, Derek showed up and wanted to take her to the cafeteria for lunch.

"Oh, I'm not sure if I have time right now." She told him.

"Time?" He stuck his hands on his hips and looked around devilishly. "You don't have time to have lunch with your future husband?"

Several people turned their heads and stared before realizing themselves and looked away. If Meredith had possession of a blunt object, she was pretty sure she'd crash it down on his head. "Fine." She hissed at him. Realizing he wasn't going to shut up if she didn't agree.

He smiled at her and led her out from behind the desk. Meredith whispered to him quietly. "You are so going to pay for that." He chuckled.

Across the bridge, he stopped her and lifted her chin up to look at him. "If you think I'm going to keep the fact that you agreed to become my wife a secret, you can just get over it. I feel like this is one of the best days of my life, and it's just going to get better every day I get to spend with you."

Meredith sighed. How could she pissed at that. "Fine." She assented. "When everyone is gossiping about you don't cry to me."

"Oh like they haven't already ever since the day I met you." He told her.

That was true. She smiled at him and relaxed. He leaned in to kiss her, and she let it go a little deeper than she had intended. Unable to break the embrace, she luxuriated in his arms for a minute before finally putting a hand on his chest and pushing him back.

"We're at work Derek. People are staring."

Derek met her eyes. She felt herself go weak. Leaning up to whisper into his ear she cursed herself. "I'm going to walk to the on-call room down near Psych, they never use those. Follow me in five minutes, make sure noone sees you go in."

She turned and strode off, and Derek waited patiently for about a minute before taking off after her. The door shut behind her as he rounded the hallway, and he honestly didn't care if the entire hospital watched him go in, he walked in and locked the door. She was sitting on the bunk, taking off her sneakers. He pulled his scrub top over his head, and made his way to the bunk. Pulling her up, he tangled his hands into her hair and unworked her ponytail, before attacking her neck with his lips. She sighed and rolled her head back, enjoying his onslaught. His hands worked their way down to her scrub bottoms where they slipped inside before untying them and letting them fall. She was just in her scrub top and panties, so he rid her of the scrub top and unclasped her bra while kissing her lips, neck and shoulders. When she was finally just in panties, he stepped out of his sneakers never taking his mouth away. She untied his scrub pants, as he helped her step out of her panties. His pants fell around his ankles. He picked her up and moved over to the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he entered her in one deep thrust, bracing himself against the wall. They were frenzied. Rushed. Meredith had to bite his shoulder to keep from yelling. Her teeth sunk into his flesh, and he was relentless as he lifted her up and brought her back down on top of him. Unable to bear it anymore, she exploded in a hard and fast orgasm, which led Derek to spend himself inside of her in a furious burst. They both stood there for a moment catching their breath, Derek bracing them up as she was wrapped around his waist. Finally he set her down, breathing heavily.

"Now that's a lunch break." He said when he could finally breathe.

"You make me do bad things." She told him as she leaned down to fetch all her clothes.

"Now I wouldn't say anything that felt like that could be called bad." He told her with a leer. He watched her as she stepped into her panties and then her scrub pants, before getting into her bra. He pulled his pants up and looked for his shoes and shirt.

"Now I'm going to walk around all day all ucky and your cum still inside of me." She said making a face. "You really need to start bringing condoms to these events."

Derek crossed over to her with a smile. He kissed her on the nose. "I like the idea of you walking around with my cum inside of you. And besides if you get pregnant, so what, We're getting married."

She gave him a look as she pulled her hair back up into a ponytail. "Do I look decent?"

He turned his head to the side and studied her. "You have whisker burn, and your eyes are all smokey like they get afterwards. And you smell like sex, I smell like sex. But you look fantastic. Makes me want to jump you again."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "You are a sex fiend." She walked past him and put her hand on the doorknob. "Wait five minutes until I'm clear before you come out. And your scrub top is inside out." She blew him a kiss and dashed out.


	24. Chapter 24

"So you are engaged." George asked, as they were changing back into street clothes.

"As in getting married, wearing a big… big giant ring. Like afraid to tell people and going to get married.. engaged." Meredith said.

"You're scared shitless aren't you?" Cristina asked.

"Oh God. Cristina. What the hell am I doing? How can I be engaged. To Derek? How?" she stared at her friend like a deer trapped in headlights.

"Well, probably he started by kissing you, or something mushy, and then he said 'Meredith, oh Meredith. Where fore art thou Meredith, will thoust be thy wedded wife?'

Cristina snickered.

George laughed half heartedly before waving and heading out.

Meredith looked at her friend. "This isn't funny. You think it's funny. It's a joke to you, but to me, this is scary. It's very scary. And I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Hmmm… "Cristina put her finger to her chin. "How about , oh I don't know… marry him?" she asked.

Meredith sighed as she picked up her tote bag and shut her locker. "I wish it was that easy. I mean Derek and me, well we aren't simplified. I mean, it's always so complicated and hard. And I mean he's just now finished with Addison. And well what if something happens and he decides he wants her instead, that I was a mistake. And what if I'm not ready to be married. I mean, I'm an intern. And he's talking about babies. And what if.. what if the Prince isn't supposed to come on a white horse and rescue the princess. What if there isn't supposed to be a happily ever after. I'm scared to death of happily ever after. It never works out for me."

"Meredith. Seriously. You are so dark and twisty it's pathetic. You are engaged to your McDreamy. Just enjoy it. The wicked witch signed the divorce papers, and her wart fell off and it turned out she wasn't so wicked after all. Maybe if you didn't spend so much time looking for misery you could be happy. Just give it a try. Seriously." Cristina shook her head and headed back, not looking back at her shocked friend.

Meredith shook her head for a minute and pondered what Cristina had said. Was she always looking for misery? Maybe so. Really, she was engaged to a rich, very hot, extremely good in bed doctor, who she happened to be madly, stop breathing, heart beats fast in love with. Maybe it was supposed to be like this. Maybe she should just enjoy this. Noone was being hurt, it was legal and legitimate. For once things were looking good and she should just quit worrying and go with it. I mean the worst had happened and she had survived. Unless Derek had more wives stashed somewhere or they had some horrible accident, she was getting married. So what. She chuckled at herself and then headed out to the elevators. Her fiancée was waiting for her to take her home.


	25. Chapter 25

"Hey." She smiled as she walked over to where Derek perched in the lobby, waiting for her.

He looked up and smiled. "Hey. Ready?"

"I am. Ready. I'm ready." She looked into his eyes. God she loved him.

"Good. Let's go." He said as he helped her with her coat and they headed to the parking lot.

"Your place or mine tonight?" she asked him.

"I thought you deserved a nice dinner first. I made reservations at La Scala."

"Oooh la la, fancy. The perks of being a rich surgeon." She teased him.

"Be prepared to be spoiled rotten." He promised her as they got into his car. He held the door for her and tucked her in before walking around and getting in too.

She leaned back and closed her eyes, relieved to be done for the day. They had a short drive into downtown, before they pulled up to valet parking. Derek came around and helped her out and they headed in. They were seated right away, and Derek ordered a rich red wine to go with their pasta. Meredith splurged and ordered the lobster ravioli, and tucked into it her Caesar salad with relish. Derek watched, admiring her.

"What?" she asked self consciously as she swallowed a bite.

He smiled at her, "Nothing, I love how healthy your appetite is, I just always wonder where you put it."

She giggled and took a sip of the wine. "This wine is delicious. Are you trying to get me drunk so you can get lucky?"

"Do I have to get you drunk to get lucky?" he asked in mock horror.

"True." She said as she finished her glass and he poured her more.

After a wonderful dinner, and a cannoli, Derek assisted her to the car. She was surprised when the car headed to her house. She had figured they'd go to the trailer.

"We're staying at my house? With George and Izzie?" she asked.

"Your bed is comfier, and you have a better cook." He answered.

"Only as long as we don't piss her off by being loud." She told him seriously.

"I guess I could stuff a sock in your mouth." He teased her.

She punched him in the shoulder laughing.

"I have something to show you before we go upstairs." He told her as they walked up to her porch. She unlocked the door and they headed in. Derek went back out to the trunk and came in with a rolled tube.

"What's that?" she asked as she kicked off her shoes.

"This is our future." He told her with a charming grin. He walked over to the table and spread out a roll of blueprints.

Meredith wandered over and peeked over his shoulder.

"We are going to build a house on our land. And I want us to both design it."

Meredith was shocked. Their land. He wanted her to help him design a house. For them. Design it. To live together in. She pinched herself.

"What was that for?" he asked her laughing.

"Can we ask Izzie for help? I'd love to have her design the kitchen, and some of the stuff I'm not so savvy on."

Derek laughed and nodded. He hoped she would be happy with his idea and she was, she loved it. She excitedly ran to the stairs and called Izzie down, and they worked for the next few hours in a blur of pencil markings and erasings.

Derek had hired a great architect who had promised him that he could make whatever they came up with work. He wasn't at all surprised to see that Meredith had the same simple taste as him and while she had quality taste, it wasn't opulence she was after.

Ever since he had met Meredith, he had pictured their house on their land together. It was all finally happening for them.


End file.
